Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dekyazoo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Dekyazoo’, characterized by its large decorative-type inflorescences with white-colored quilled ray florets; strong and upright flowering stems; short response time; uniform flowering habit; and excellent postproduction longevity; plants maintain good substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DEKYAZOO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Dekyazoo’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new freely-flowering cutChrysanthemum plants with double inflorescences with quilled rayflorets, strong flowering stems, short response time and excellentpostproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands in March, 2009 of aproprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as codenumber 05.43371.01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as codenumber 07.65782.01, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thenew Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek,The Netherlands in November, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal cuttingsin a controlled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlandssince December, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this newChrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dekyazoo’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dekyazoo’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemumplant:

-   -   1. Large decorative-type inflorescences with white-colored        quilled ray florets.    -   2. Strong and upright flowering stems.    -   3. Short response time.    -   4. Uniform flowering habit.    -   5. Excellent postproduction longevity; plants maintain good        substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower two days earlier than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences        than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower two days earlier than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences        than plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have decorative-type        inflorescences whereas plants of the male parent selection have        spider-type inflorescences.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection        differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent        selection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Anastasia’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,550. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of‘Anastasia’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger leaves than plants        of ‘Anastasia’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about four days        earlier than plants of ‘Anastasia’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences        than plants of ‘Anastasia’.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had decorative-type        inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Anastasia’ had spider-type        inflorescences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering stem of ‘Dekyazoo’ grown as a spray-type.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises close-up views of the upper(top of the photograph) and lower surfaces (bottom of the photograph) oftypical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Dekyazoo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the winter in ground beds in aglass-covered greenhouse in Hensbroek, The Netherlands and undercommercial cut Chrysanthemum cultural practices. Plants were initiallygiven long day/short night treatments followed by short day/long nighttreatments to induce flower initiation and development. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C.,night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and light levels wereabout 7,000 lux. Plants were nine weeks old when the photographs and thedescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dekyazoo’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number            05.43371.01, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number            07.65782.01, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 13 days            at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 15 days            at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance and growth habit.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut            flower that is typically grown as a disbud; moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Flowering stem description (peduncle).—Aspect: Erect.            Strength: Strong. Length: About 80 cm to 90 cm. Stem            diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm to            3.5 cm. Texture: Finely pubescent; longitudinally ridged.            Color: Close to 146A to 146B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 9 cm to 13 cm. Width: About 5 cm to 10 cm. Apex: Acute            to cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed,            serrate; sinuses parallel to convergent. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent, rough; veins prominent on lower            surface. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color:            Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing            leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully developed            leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to            147B. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;            venation, close to 147B to 147C. Petiole: Length: About 1.5            cm to 4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm by 4 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent, rough. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 146B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with quilled            ray florets; inflorescences borne perpendicular to            peduncles; ray and disc florets develop acropetally on a            capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately to strongly fragrant, pungent.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower            in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere; at other            times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development            can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at            least 13.5 hours of darkness); uniform flowering habit and            short response time, plants exposed to long day/short night            conditions after planting followed by photoinductive short            day/long night conditions flower about seven weeks later            when grown as a disbud.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Excellent postproduction            longevity; in an interior environment, inflorescences and            foliage will maintain good color and substance for about            three weeks; inflorescences persistent.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 16 cm to 18 cm. Depth            (height): About 4.5 cm. Disc diameter: Less than 1 cm.            Receptacle height: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About            1.5 cm. Receptacle color: Close to 145C.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Flattened spherical to rounded.            Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Color: Close to            137C.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.5 cm to 8 cm. Width: About 5 mm            to 20 mm. Shape: Quilled to spatulate. Apex: Emarginate to            tri-dentate. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number per            inflorescence: About 350 arranged in numerous whorls.            Aspect: Incurved. Color: When opening, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to NN155D; towards the apex and the base,            close to 145B. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close            to NN155D; towards the base, close to 145B.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, erect and elongated.            Apex: Dentate. Length: About 5 mm to 8 mm. Diameter: About 1            mm to 1.5 mm. Number per inflorescence: About 50 massed at            the center of the receptacle occasionally a few scattered            among the ray florets. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to            145A. Mid-section: Close to 13B. Base: Close to 145D. Color,            fully opened: Apex: Close to 154B. Mid-section: Close to            15C. Base: Close to 145D.        -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 8 mm to 14 mm. Width: About            3 mm to 8 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.            Texture, lower surface: Pubescent, slightly rough. Number            per inflorescence: About 35 arranged in about two to three            whorls. Color, upper surface: Close to 137C. Color, lower            surface: Close to 137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:            Present on both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 5            mm to 6 mm. Style color: Whitish yellow. Stigma color:            Greenish yellow.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants of the new    Chrysanthemum grown under commercial conditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named‘Dekyazoo’ as illustrated and described.